They say that the experience of the diaspora, those unrooted, uprooted and rerooted people, lies in making-do with what is immediately available to them to recreate a sense of the homeland they left behind.
What was immediately available to me was: garlic, green chillies, onions, split peas (dal as we call it back home), spring onions, cumin and an electric-grinder to crush the dal. The result: gateaux piments, and it actually did bring smells, tastes and memories of Mauritius back to mind. While you can have it in a hot baguette with melting butter, you can also eat it as a snack or cook it further in a curry.
While some recreate the homeland through language, others through what they wear, others through sacred books and spiritual beliefs, I decided to go with the food and taste (for now at least.) My gateaux piments tasted good. I can't wait to tell my mum: she'll be proud of me!
3 comments:
What, no recipe?!! You can't leave us hanging like this, dude...!
have you left FB again!
@ FG:
Errrr... Basically crush the split peas in the grinder, with your hands, mix in the rest of the ingredients, make into small balls and deep fry them! I'm not very good at recipes as you can see- unlike you!
@ Astreus:
I'll mail you very soon.
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